Shocking News: I Am Not PETA

I have an earth-shattering secret to tell some people. It might just disrupt their perception of the world forever: Just because I am a vegetarian, does not mean I'm a member of/support PETA.

This seems to be an incredibly  difficult concept for many meat-eaters to grasp. Apparently, in their minds, one radically offensive organization represents the whole of an enormously diverse group of people. Maybe this is because their only experience with vegetarians and vegans is news about PETA's latest screw-up. Maybe they're just jerks.

Whatever the reason, it seems to be a widespread opinion that, when someone tells you they're vegetarian, you are absolutely obligated  to reference PETA in some way. I have been told the "People Eating Tasty Animals" joke more times than I can count (and often two or more times from the same person). I have been asked "Oh, so you call fish 'sea kittens' and all that crap?" (Oh boy did my lunch table love  to bring that one up.) On the rare occasion that I meet with someone who shares a feminist outlook, I can expect to immediately be called a hypocrite because of PETA's overwhelmingly sexist ways.

Only, of course, I hate PETA. As does, oh I don't know, every single other vegetarian I've met. And I think I can accurately say, most of the ones I haven't  met. And I don't know why this is so difficult for so many meat-eaters to understand.

This also happens in a sense even outside of just PETA: People will often feel the need to tell me about other ways that not-so-positive vegetarian groups or people have been offensive/violent/what have you.

Here's the thing: I don't give every Christian I meet a history lesson on the Crusades.

I don't tell every white person I meet "Oh, you're white? You know, I heard a lot of white people did this horrible thing called 'slavery'..."

I don't inform every male person I meet about the shitload of sexism that is the world.

And why? Because not all vegetarians are the same, just as not all men are the same, not all white people are the same, and not all Christians are the same.

And let me repeat for the record: Just about everybody hates PETA. We clear? Good.

Review Of The 2009 Roméo Et Juliette Cast CD - Part 2

And now we move on to Act 2! Or, well, the first 10 songs of act 2. I have to warn you: Though I've listened to/watched act 1 more times than I can count, as well as On Dit Dans La Rue, C'est Le Jour, and Le Duel, I have a very bad habit of stopping after La Mort De Mercutio. (After all, my two favorite characters in the show are dead!) So, the reviews might not be as detailed after that point. That doesn't mean they won't be reliable, just not as thorough as the ones before them. Anyway, here we go!

1. Le Pouvoir - And we start off immediately with a completely new song. This song is a solo for Escalus, and it really does grow on you after a couple of listens. The melody isn't all too impressive - it seems like they took the main melodies of Et Voilà Qu'elle Aime, Mort De Mercutio, and C'est Le Jour and threw them in a blender, then slightly tweaked what came out. But the instruments are fantastic - the ways the chord progressions were arranged made up for the mediocre melody, and again there's a perfect balance of electric and symphonic instruments. (If you like militaristic drums as much as I do, this song is a gold mine of them.) And Stéphane Métro - while the way he uses his voice here (very growly) is not necessarily "pleasant", it really suits the character, so it's nice.
I think the main problem I had with this song is that I have absolutely no fucking idea what its purpose is. What is he so angry about? No one's died yet... See, I suppose this is one time where I wish I could understand French. Overall, very good. I have no idea why this song is here, but it's good so I don't care.

2. On Dit Dans La Rue - One of my favorite songs from the musical. And with John, Cyril, and Damien singing together again, you'd think I would love it. Except...the arrangement was pretty disappointing. The Montagues' voices during the chorus are incredibly weak, and their part is just about what makes the song for me. And the instruments just don't pop out at you like they do in so many other versions. Overall, the individual singers are great, but the arrangement really made this song a let down for me.

3. C'est Le Jour - Another favorite. Let me say that I know every version is going to be slightly disappointing when I'm used to the awesomeness of Ez A Kéz Utoler. However, this is probably the best non-Hungarian arrangement I've heard. Tom Ross really has improved, and this song really shows it. Overall, great!

4. La Folie - I jumped with joy clapping my hands when I first realized that this song had come back. Literally. So, it's not like the original - it's much shorter, only a small part is actually sung (most of the lyrics are spoken), and it's a Mercutio solo without Romeo and Benvolio. But guess what? It's STILL AWESOME. Again I have to praise John's skills at being endearingly annoying that can come through from his voice alone. Overall, simply amazing, and incredibly catchy.

5. Le Duel - Heeere we go. This song is, without a doubt, the song I have listened to most from this show. I've listened dozens of times to every version I could find, and it is not exaggeration at all to say that I've heard  it at least 150 times. So I knew I was going to be especially critical of any arrangement. And I was right. Let me state that this is not a bad arrangement, per se, but like On Dit Dans La Rue, it's a let down. A song this strong needs a powerful arrangement, and this version just turned out weak.
First no-no: In the chorus, the choir was pushed to the background, and John and Tom's voices pushed to the front. No! It weakens the strength and emotion of the song.
Second no-no: Also in the chorus, I could not hear any of the beautiful harmonies.
Third no-no: Oh gosh, this is hard to say. I mentioned that I'm not a big fan of Tom's Tybalt before, and this song just strengthens that. His voice simply does not work with this music, and he doesn't sound really emotional at all. Annoyed, yes, but I don't hear any of that deep hate that should really be expressed. And he sounds very nasal. Sorry Tom, but...no.
Overall, such an amazing song, it just needs an equally great arrangement to do it justice, and this one fell short. (I should emphasize that if you actually watch live videos of this cast, it's much better. It's breathtaking live.)

6. Mort De Mercutio - I'm not going to lie: I cried the first time I heard this song. Just wept. If done right, this song is a gorgeous tearjerker. And I teared up again listening to this version. This is the best, most emotional version I've heard of it. (Yup, right on the heels of my least-favorite arrangement is my favorite.)
John really shines in this, again. Perhaps because you can hear that Mercutio is trying to sound like the carefree person he'd always shown to others, but can't quite do it. And the choir comes in lightly behind Damien near the end - it really is heartbreaking. Overall, wonderful, and tugs at your heartstrings like no other version I've heard.

7. Quel Est Le Prix - I haven't heard a particularly "bad" arrangement of this song, and this one doesn't change that. Great, but there's nothing really special about this version compared to any others. Although, you can hear the drums a little more. Overall, great but not remarkable.

8. Duo Du Désespoir - I had forgotten how nice this song could be. Frédéric Charter doesn't have an amazing voice, but it gets the job done. Here is where Ida Gordon really shines, oddly enough. Overall, very good!

9. Le Chant De L'alouette - This is one of those songs I don't normally listen to, because, to be honest, I think it's pretty tedious. So I don't have much to say about it, other than that Damien and Joy are great as usual. Overall, meh.

10. Demain - This song I have listened to a lot, and this is probably my favorite non-Hungarian arrangement. The instruments, singers, and arrangement are great. My only complaint is that Joy doesn't sound too emotional, either with her singing or her "No!" But I understand that this is a recording and not a show, so acting wasn't really the point. Overall, wonderful!

And I'll be posting part 3, with the second half of act 2, soon.

A Review Of School Of Fear By Gitty Daneshvari

Sometimes, the best things can be found in the oddest places.

I first discovered this book when I was bored out of my mind at a TJ Maxx store. I detest shopping for anything that's not books or music with a passion, but my parents had insisted, and so I found myself wandering listlessly around the store after pointing out that they didn't stock shoes over a size 9. (And this, friends, is why I wear men's shoes. Because finding women's size 12s, let alone ones that are actually practical and not stiletto heels, is next to impossible.)

Anyway, so I passed by a small ragtag bookshelf in the middle of the cooking aisle. Among all the Bibles, cookbooks, and self-help manuals, I noticed one title that stood out at me in a large spidery font: SCHOOL OF FEAR.

That certainly got my interest. It sounded like a B horror movie. I could imagine a poster with a big looming school building (which would almost certainly turn out to be haunted) and the title creeping across it. Intrigued, I fished the book out from under 200 chicken recipes. The cover was curious: A stylistic, sharp drawing of four young people surrounded by carnivorous-looking plants, with the subtitle "Everyone's afraid of something..."

Turning it over, I instantly knew I wanted to buy this book. A story of a bizarre school meant to help people get rid of their phobias? I'm in. And one of the main characters is claustrophobic (which I am), another is afraid of bugs (which I DEFINITELY am). So I did buy it.

The book tells the tale of Madeleine, Theodore, Lulu, and Garrison, four people sent off to the incredibly mysterious "School Of Fear" to try to eliminate their individual fears. But the school isn't exactly up to state standard, as it's filled with the most bizarre things and locations (including a library of horrible-smelling items and a room completely covered in doors that lead anywhere, or nowhere). The eccentric teacher/headmistress Mrs.Wellington only contributes to the weirdness - from her insistence on the importance of vanity, to the fact that she doesn't seem to actually be helping her students at all, the four students get more and more confused as their session runs on. And when a tragedy occurs, they're forced to go on a rescue mission just as odd as the school itself.

From the first paragraph of the book, I knew I liked the writing style:

A bell is not a bell. While undeniably constructed out of metal and heralded for its ability to ring, it is actually a great deal more than that. It's the taste of barbecue, the feel of sunburned skin from playing outside all day, and the smell of chlorine from freshly cleaned pools. It's the promise of football games, sleepovers, and video-game tournaments, all without the interruption of homework. In short, the bell is the gatekeeper of summer.

And I was not let down by the rest of the book. Daneshvari is one of the few authors I know who has an incredibly natural writer's voice. Her descriptions are vivid, and create a wonderful mental picture, but she never does so much that you're distracted from the story itself.

To be frank, I loved this book. It was entertaining, and it actually did keep me wanting to turn the page, wanting to know what happened next. The characters are believable, if not 100% likeable, but that only adds to the realistic nature of a story that is otherwise so weird. Pacing was perfect for the most part, though I do wish there was more detail towards the end of the book.

Speaking of the end, I was a little surprised at how dark this book got for a children's story. It certainly never became horrific, but there were some things you don't usually expect to find in the YA section. But that only made me appreciate it more, me being me.

Overall, this is just an amazing book. Good story, great writing, and quite unique. I'll see if I can get my hands on the sequel.

Morality In Tanz Der Vampire: An Essay

(I know what you're thinking: More  essays about this musical? Yep. This was also written for a school project, so at some points it may seem like I'm telling you things you already know. I did my best to edit most of the parts out, but some might still remain - especially in how the general tone of the writing sounds. But anyway, this is a debate over the messages of morality in Tanz, about life, killing, and greed.)

            I will be perfectly honest: The first couple of weeks after I had gained a sizeable appreciation for Tanz, my appreciation really only extended as far as “Ooh, pretty music!” This was partly because it’s easier to listen to music in my busy life that it is to sit down and watch a story, and partly because the music is just that good. Also, as much  as I’m an advocate for cross-lingual understanding, I can’t lie and say that my inability to understand German apart from a meager vocabulary wasn’t a major factor to my hesitance to think about the plot and characters.

            Soon, though, I realized that there was a depth in this story, a statement behind the sweeping music and dark humor. Or, as I came to understand after working hard to overcome the language barrier, it wasn’t exactly a statement. It was a question. Several questions, actually.

            After thinking for a while, I gathered up my analytical skills, and extracted the three main questions asked to you, the audience, in the show. They’re all related, and all very dependent on personal values:
            1.Is it better to be cruel to prevent harm to yourself, or be a “good guy” and be victimized?

            2.Is it morally alright to kill human beings if it is necessary for your own survival, and if you only kill as many as it necessary?

            3.Is it morally alright to kill those beings that kill humans, even if they do it out of necessity, and are otherwise peaceful, and have families and emotions? Are human lives worth more than other species’?

            These questions are the driving force of the plot. The two main characters (Alfred and Sarah) have to make the decision of whether to gain invincibility, immortality, and the ability to whatever they want – at the price of having to kill humans. They both have different opinions about it. And the second and third are also what our villains struggle with.

            Let’s look at that first question. This is the primary thing that the vampires (Krolocks or not) use to try to convince people to join them. When Alfred first enters the castle, the very first thing the count does is start offering him things – knowledge, freedom, but most importantly: Protection through power. He argues that life (or un-life, if you want to be technical) cannot be lived to the fullest if you live in fear, and the only way to get rid of the fear is to become predator instead of prey.

            The other vampires agree with him on that: It is better to be the killer than the victim. The opening lines of the finale translate as follows: “Take what you want, or it will be taken from you…show your fist, or you’ll be hit. Push yourself forward, or you will be overlooked.” *

            The song “Carpe Noctem” is Alfred’s nightmare, a look into what exactly he fears will happen if he takes control and becomes the predator. At first, he sees the world the other vampires try to tempt him with: He gets anything and everything he wants, is powerful, happy. Then, of course, comes his problem: Killing. And along with the killing, another big fear of his seems to be his fear that he won’t care about those killings – after the dream-embodiment of Sarah is killed, Alfred’s dream-double simply drags her body to the front of the stage, dumps it there, grins to himself, and walks off.

Alfred spends the show as the assistant to a vampire hunter – already we’ve got something going here: The prey (human) is trying to reverse the set-up of predator and prey, making the hunter (vampire) the hunted. Kill before you’re killed. He doesn’t seem to question whether what he’s doing is moral or not. When he later has to actually kill who he’s been hunting this whole time, it turns out he can’t bring himself to do it – he’s on the “thou shalt not kill” side. This is important because of how he sees the first question – he’s so opposed to the vampires’ killing, yet he himself is on a mission to kill. Technically, he’s a rather hypocritical figure to the audience up until that revealing point.

And in the gray-upon-gray morality of Tanz, this moment is where we can finally decide that Alfred is a “good” (i.e. moral) hero. But what about Sarah?

Sarah is an incredibly complex character. But what I want to focus on here is her opinion of the first question. The whole entire reason she runs off to the castle is that she wants to be free, and she sees becoming a vampire as the way to do that. She wants to be powerful – after a lifetime of being locked up and bossed around by those more powerful than her, she wants to become the most powerful of them all. But you can look at it two ways, and each way creates a very different view of Sarah’s character:

1.She wants to be powerful not for protection (like Alfred), but simply to be the most powerful creature. No one can boss her around. Looking at her this way, she can seem like an incredibly selfish person.

2.She wants that security and protection that comes with power. She knows that becoming a vampire means that she won’t have to deal with problems that could plague her otherwise, whether they’re from the adults who try to keep her from doing what she wishes, or anything else. To quote commenter Valancy from a Tanz  discussion board: “There's thing big, scary yet enticing adult world on the one hand, and there are vampires: to Alfred they're everything that's scary about the adult world, to Sarah they're a way to be strong, to be a beast yourself so that nobody can scare you and lock you in. Sarah accepts this scary side of the world and wants to be in it…”

And really, I think that’s her biggest motivation: She’s a child, under everyone else’s control, and this is her way to take control of her own life. To Alfred, who is also a child but has a completely different outlook on freedom (he’s scared of it), the transformation from human to vampire is forcing him to be independent – which is the last thing he wants. And that’s why the vampires are so enticing to Sarah, and so frightening to Alfred.

Now, where does this fall on the moral spectrum? I know there are many people who would say that Sarah is selfish for giving herself to a life that will force her to kill humans. Is she selfish? It really is all up to you.

Interestingly, on the note of the second and third questions, Count von Krolock himself seems to have a stronger opinion than any of the protagonists. He is of the mind that he’s immoral, a monster. I don’t think it’s a far cry to say that, if Alfred or the Professor had actually succeeded in killing him, he would have welcomed death rather than fled from it. He clearly doesn’t like  killing.

So, does this mean that he’s still a monster? He has no choice in the matter – he has to kill humans to live. In my opinion, he’s actually better than humans who eat meat – humans don’t need meat to live.

Am I being rude in saying that you can’t call a vampire a monster if you’re not a vegetarian? Perhaps. But it’s a moral feeling I hold strongly, and that’s what these questions are about.

One of the easiest arguments for people to make about hunting is that “Animals don’t have emotions.” (That’s ridiculous, but that’s a subject for another essay.) Can we apply this to the question of is-vampire-slaying-okay? Of course. The most powerful moment in the show, for me, is just after “Die Unstillbare Gier”. The song is where he laments to himself that he will never be able to exist without doing harm to others, a scene that clearly puts a damper on the “He wants to kill, so we can kill him” argument. The moment is: After the song is over, Alfred, who was eavesdropping, whispers to himself, “They…have feelings. Like us.” There’s the completion of the effect on the audience: The hunters cannot simply kill anyone now and still be considered heroes.

            And to further the humanization of the “monster”, he has a son. Families are perhaps the most recognizable feature of human civilization, a social construct that, though it belonged to other animals first, we have come to clearly associate with human compassion and care. And when these villains are revealed to be compassionate enough to have children, it’s once again asking you “How evil are these guys, really? Is the killing a deal-breaker for you?”

            Speaking of humanization, I want to draw on one last point before closing this essay and leaving the questions open. It’s one of the biggest elements of the show. It is: Parallels between the human and vampire world in the show. “Die Unstillbare Gier” is not simply about bloodlust. The lyrics address all sorts of human sins: Greed, lust, the hunger for power, wealth, everything. The last lines address the audience directly. To quote from the fan translation: “Many believe in humanity, and many in money and glory. Many believe in art and science; in love and in heroism. Many believe in gods of many different kinds, in miracles and in signs. In Heaven and Hell, in sin and virtue, and in the Bible and breviary. But the true power that rules over us is the disgraceful, endless, consuming, destroying, and eternal, insatiable greed. You mortals of tomorrow, I prophesize here and now: Before the next millennium begins, the only God whom everyone serves will be the insatiable greed.”

            And there are many parallels even more subtle than the “They have feelings like us” line. For example, Chagal is honest about being just as greedy as the other vampires in “Geil Zu Sein Ist Komisch”, in which he says that everyone always wants more than what they have. (Vampire or human.)

And take another look at the families – from what little we see of each family, the vampire is a better parent to his son than Sarah’s father is to her. Also, as mentioned a while back in Valancy’s quote about Sarah, the whole musical is a parallel to growing up: Is the human adult world, full of competition and greed, any better than an eternal world?

            Overall, the questions are all up to you. But Tanz der Vampire  certainly has some of its own opinions about monsters.

           

            *Also taken from the fan translation.

Useless Number

So I turned 15.

Nothing about me changed.

I didn't suddenly become nicer or smarter. I didn't suddenly improve my manners or speak more formally. I didn't have a revelation that showed me my path in the world. I didn't become more competent at any skill I had.

And the same thing will happen when I turn 16. But society doesn't seem to think so. When that insignificant day ratchets my time on this earth up one number, society suddenly decides that now I am responsible enough to handle the privilege of driving. Now I am responsible enough to be legally employed.

And when I turn 18 it will be the same thing - very little will change about my judgement, ability to handle responsibility, my intelligence. But society as a whole refuses to believe that you are a competent enough person to handle something like voting until a useless number goes up. And until you're 21, it's telling you that you don't have good judgement then either. Until that useless little number says "Okay, we now pronounce you a competent, intelligent, responsible human being!"

It's just more of the "maturity" tripe. Yet again my skills and intelligence are not attributed to my working to achieve them, but rather to how long I've been alive. And that is very, very wrong.

Review Of The 2009 Roméo Et Juliette Cast CD - Part 1

Yesterday, I was absolutely giddy with musical-fan ecstasy as I found not only the original Vienna recording of Elisabeth in my possession, but also the 2009 cast album of Roméo Et Juliette! (There was jumping up and down involved. Be sure of it.)

The recording is just about whole. Acts 1 and 2 are on separate discs. What struck me first about the song list was how many new songs there were - "A La Vie, À La Mort", "Tybalt", "La Reine Mab (Je Rêve)", "Les Poupées", and those are just in the first act.

I was definitely excited to listen to it because, from what I'd seen and heard online, I really loved the Asia Tour cast already. (I was particularly taken with the trio of Damien Sargue, John Eyzen, and Cyril Niccolai).

Now that I've listened all the way through it, I think it's time for a review of the individual songs and arrangements. Before anyone asks, the songs were studio-recorded, not taken live. And of course, this can be both a blessing and a curse. But let's get on with my opinion.

1.Ouverture - There isn't too much to say about this song, as it doesn't particularly change cast by cast. It's pleasant as always, but I still think the show overall could do without it.

2.Vérone - Aw yeah, now we're talkin'! I actually like this arrangement better than the original French one. It amps up the harsh, rock feel of the guitars (closer to the German arrangement), and the percussion is more staccato and emphasized. Stéphane Metro comes in as the Prince. At first, you might think he's a little overdramatic - but I think he's perfect for the role. He sounds rightly angry and frustrated singing about how hard it is to rule Verona, and has a nice strong voice at that. And the chorus, well - it's freaking Vérone, how can it not be awesome? Overall, this is so far the best version of the song I've heard.

3. La Haine - I'm in the camp that thinks the Hungarian production did right by putting this song before Aimer - otherwise, it's just another "Everyone in Verona hates each other!" song, even after we've just heard a whole song singing about that. But, that's not the point. I'm neutral on Stéphanie Rodrigue's performance as Lady Capulet - she has a nice voice, but it's nothing particularly amazing or suited to the role. She could sound just a bit more emotional as well. Then Brigitte Venditti comes in as Lady Montague, and I am damn impressed! She does perfectly, bringing the right amount of feeling to the song. She has a rougher voice, but it works with the song. Then the chorus comes in - I must say that I wasn't fond of how they seemed to just have men and women with very low voices singing in the background. It doesn't have that same full sound, leaves you feeling like you wanted more. The orchestration was pretty much the same as it was originally. Overall, very nice!

4.A La Vie, Á La Mort - This is where I start to really wish I could see what was going on on stage during this song. Because I really have no idea how this fits into the overall musical - what are Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio doing? But, that doesn't stop it from being a pleasant song. Note that I said pleasant, not wonderful, because I'm not overly fond of it. I just doesn't hook you like so many of the other songs in this show do. This is also the introduction of John and Cyril for new listeners. If this is the first time you heard them, you might be disappointed. But don't! This song doesn't showcase how great their voices can be - and they can be really great, as I'll talk about later. Overall, a fluff song. Nice fluff, but still fluff.

5.La Demande En Mariage - What is there to say about this song? I noticed that it uses the chorus much more than any of the other arrangements. I'm frustrated because I can't find out who plays Paris, but oh well. Overall, not better or worse than any of the other arrangements.

6.Tybalt - I'm all for Tybalt's character having more songs, and more screentime. But I can't say that this was a good way to do it. I mean, give him a whole sparsely orchestrated song that could be used for all sorts of character development - and then have him just repeat "Tybalt, I am Tybalt!" for most of the time? Not a good idea. And Tom Ross...let me explain that I don't dislike his Tybalt. But I can't say I really love him either. It might be his voice, or how he seems to play the character slightly flat (C'est Pas Ma Faute seeming like a whiny attempt at gaining sympathy, C'est Le Jour seeming to be just wanting to get Juliet, etc. Actually, that's probably more the fault of the writers than it is the actor. So I can't blame him for that. Never mind...) Overall, not impressed. Not impressed at all.

7.Tu Dois Te Marier - Another song I don't have much of an opinion on. I think I should say it again Stéphanie Rodrigue has a very nice voice, but doesn't seem to use it to express her character that well. I like that the violins and piano were put more in the foreground of this arrangement, though. Overall, pretty but not much more than that.

8.Un Jour - It's funny. I hated this song the first time I heard it. Then I grew to tolerate. And now I actually like it. But - and this goes for all versions of this song, not just this one - I like the instruments more than I like what the singers are doing. Going back to those singers, we've got the duo of Damien Sargue and Joy Esther. Of course I love Damien, so I wasn't worried about him, but I'm historically quite picky about my Juliets. And Joy surprised me with how much I actually like her. She sounds dreamy, but not head-in-the-clouds optimistic, and has a naturally nice voice without straining to sound pretty. Overall, very good!

9.Les Rois Du Monde - Aaand now, for the song we've all been waiting for. It's so funny - what is probably the most well-loved song in the show has had a history of being very badly arranged on cast recordings. (*Cough* AUSTRIA I'm looking at you *cough*) But this managed to capture a pretty awesome orchestration. The instruments, especially the bass line, get more attention during the verses. And I'll say this quite a bit, but I really love John and Cyril. In this song, they sound like they really mean what they're saying. I really believe that they believe all this about the kings of the world - add that to the fact that all three of The Boys have great voices, you get awesomeness. Overall, love it, and incredibly arranged!

10.La Reine Mab (Je Rêve) - My reaction when I learned that Mercutio got a new solo song: YES! My reaction when I heard that solo song: HELL YES! First of all, the song itself is both beautiful and incredibly catchy. And now this turns into the Eyzen-fangirl-fest: I really love this man's Mercutio. He extends that carefree feeling heard in Les Rois Du Monde into this song, and amps it up. He laughs in the face of everything (it's worth noting that you can find a video of him during Le Duel where he's laughing even as Tybalt tries to choke him), and this song shows that. And GODS HIS VOICE. WHY DO I LOVE IT SO? Overall, loveloveloveawesomeyay. 


11.J'ai Peur - This is another song that I hated the first time I heard it, and now love. It's also one I'm quite picky about - I hadn't found a version of the song I really, really thought was great. Until now. First, the orchestration is wonderful. They don't let the violins or guitar take over everything, and there's actually more electric instruments than in the original arrangements, and that really works. Towards the end of this song, Damien sings a slightly new melody (with the words "Que nos ombres si légères, demain se changent en pierre, que le vent du hasard se prenne dans nos guitares"), and it is absolutely gorgeous. And slightly sexy. (Yes, I have thing for voices. Sue me.) Overall, wonderful in every way, and the best arrangement I've heard so far!

12.Bal 1 - I think whoever was responsible for the arrangements has been spending a lot of time in dance clubs. Because this is a full out techno dance song. Looping beats which are given more focus than in any other arrangements I've heard, and lots of distortion and effects. Overall, this probably is not how the song sounded on stage, and you would absolutely not think it came from a Romeo And Juliet musical, but still very good.

13.L'amour Hereux - Let me let you in on a secret: I hate this song. Not just this arrangement, not just any version - I hate every single version I've heard of it. Because it's the song itself I don't like, not the singers. So I couldn't objectively measure this particular version. So..... Overall, I guess it has Damien and Joy, so yeah.

14.Bal 2 - For a brief moment the audience was reminded that this is Romeo And Juliet, and now they're transported back to the 2009 Dance Rave. Overall, just as fun as Bal 1.

15.C'est Pas Ma Faute - Again I'm the picky Hungarian-version lover, because no Tybalt so far has managed to beat Szilveszter's awesome interpretation of the character. But that doesn't stop me from liking this version. The one thing that threw me off in this arrangement is that, for the first half of the first chorus, they cut of most of the electric instruments, so it's just Tom Ross's voice, an acoustic strumming guitar, and the background guitar line. It sounds like something that could have been on MTV unplugged. Now, as much as I love sparse orchestration - that choice sort of left Tom's voice alone up there, and put too much emphasis on it. And let's face it - he does not have a strong voice at all. So that little bit was a bad choice, but otherwise the rest of the song was great. Overall, wonderful, but with a bit of a "huh?" moment.

16.Les Poupées - Honestly, when this song came on, I checked to make sure I had the right CD in the CD player. I thought I had accidentally put in a Midnight Syndicate album. Because that is what it sounds like, completely. Of course, that's why I love it. It's gloriously creepy, and catchy. But again, I really wish I could know what the hell is happening during this song. Because I absolutely cannot think of anything in the Roméo Et Juliette I know that would have this song accompanying it. Overall, slightly out-of-place in the show, but that doesn't stop it from being awesome.

EDIT: I found a video of this song. Apparently, it's a sort of "Bal 3" where everyone just dances around like robotic puppets and Mercutio and Tybalt have a brief dance-off. Actually pretty fun! It takes place after C'est Pas Ma Faute, which was moved to the place it is in the German production (everyone freezes and Tybalt knocks them over like dolls.)

17.La Poète - I know I'm jumping on the fan bandwagon by saying this, but...why? Honestly, I just can't think of what purpose this song serves. And unlike other useless songs I'm willing to forgive because they're still great songs, I can't say the same for this, because I also don't like the song itself. Serge Leborgne has a nice voice as the poet, and of course there's Joy, but....seriously, why? Overall, nice singers, useless song.

18.Le Balcon - Hey, another song I hated then loved! I have to start out by admiring the guitars in this song - the arrangement let them come out a little more, and the acoustic picking really gives Joy's voice a beautiful floating effect. And interestingly, there's a small moment before the last chorus where the piano is made the only instrument - a nice touch! Overall, pretty song , pretty arrangement, and pretty singers.

19.Par Amour - Oddly, I think that Frédéric Charter's voice is almost too strong for Friar Laurent. Other than that, nothing much to say about this song. Overall, another one without much to comment on.

20.Les Beaux, Les Laids - I love this song so much. This is one song where I love every version I've heard equally, actually. Including this one. I think that the only complaint I have is that Ida Gordon doesn't sound pissed off enough at the beginning - tear into 'em, Nurse! (And again, I must praise John's ability so sound so annoyingly cocky while still making you love him. That is very hard to do when you're as picky as I am.) Overall, great song, good arrangement.

21.Et Voilà, Qu'elle Aime - Awwwww. No, that's the reaction I always have to this song. Ida Gordon is another member of this cast with a fantastic voice. However, she doesn't use it as well as she could on this song. And I really miss the belting. Really, this is one song where belting is right at home. And Ida seems concerned with sounding pretty (ah, remember that post?), which sounds like it's holding her back. Overall, beautiful, but not as powerful as it could be.

22.Aimer - It might come as a surprise that this is another song I don't know what to say about. Um. It's pretty? Okay, I have to do more than that - I don't really like how Joy uses her voice in this song. Another time where I feel like telling her "Sing out!" The song is supposed to be passionate, and instead I just hear (from Damien too - don't think you're getting off scot-free, man!) "Must...be...pretty". Overall, nothing special.

And so ends the first act. Next I'll be taking on the second act - I love this recording SO MUCH.